Australian Open

[Florian]

Djokovic has one of the best FH and the best BH you can't deny that !

Yep he does have an easy fh to handle, but 134 max speed isn't something you can really efficiently move a pusher standing so far back with, not like many other players with better fhs.

No honestly, I don't agree. Especially because I was able to hit winners from baseline with Gasquet vs Alex-Murray (and vs Fox-Murray as well) whereas this was totally impossible against you playing Djokovic or even Felipe playing Djokovic.

That's because i defend maybe better than them xD , you just proved it was easier to defend than to attack in ITST

More seriously, you haven't proved much by saying it was easier to hit winners with your Gasquet vs Alex or Fox than vs me.

[AlexJasmins]

I knew u wud have something to say if i did a good result with murray. He is O.P as Nadfal for sure Thanks guys for the support and for not taking the hat to two icnredible players like us. Cerji u had chances to finish the point and yes Mr.Florian see parts of the set where i hit AMAZING WINNERS and the stats dont lie...52 winners with Murray man...

[Florian]

I knew u wud have something to say if i did a good result with murray. He is O.P as Nadfal for sure Thanks guys for the support and for not taking the hat to two icnredible players like us. Cerji u had chances to finish the point and yes Mr.Florian see parts of the set where i hit AMAZING WINNERS and the stats dont lie...52 winners with Murray man...

you played brilliant tennis and have built most points in such a great way Cerji had no chance to escape from your amazing winners. I have to admit that...

[butcher]

ah... c4ill and floriann arguing. my two idols
but i have to agree with floriann on this one. i really don't find đoković BH and FH to be that effective. i recently played with inseedious (with đoko) and he said to me that he thinks đoko needs to be nerfed. i don't know why. i have a feeling i can defend really well against him, even on hard court. and he should be pretty effective there. but thats just my opinion...

[inseedious]

ah... c4ill and floriann arguing. my two idols
but i have to agree with floriann on this one. i really don't find đoković BH and FH to be that effective. i recently played with inseedious (with đoko) and he said to me that he thinks đoko needs to be nerfed. i don't know why. i have a feeling i can defend really well against him, even on hard court. and he should be pretty effective there. but thats just my opinion...

I don't think that Nole's wings are OP, I just think that a player can't be an awesome defender and still a very good attacker. I also don't like how Nole's defending shots often lands on the baseline, this just highlights overall defense overpowering. His very high consistencies make him able to hit accelerations just after the ball bounce, and this is an important key to be aggressive. When we played yesterday, I used Nole and you used Fed, and even without being used to Nole, the match was very close and my performance was very similar to my best Fed's one. However we are OT and as I said you, we will see with 1.13

[Elias]

His very high consistencies make him able to hit accelerations just after the ball bounce, and this is an important key to be aggressive.

Taking the ball early is more a counter stat feat Consistency is more about shot depth, and positionning tolerance (less errors / framed shots in difficult situations, better ball recovery, with high consistencies), easyer to hit good short crosses with high consistencies as well though.

[inseedious]

His very high consistencies make him able to hit accelerations just after the ball bounce, and this is an important key to be aggressive.

Taking the ball early is more a counter stat feat Consistency is more about shot depth, and positionning tolerance (less errors / framed shots in difficult situations, better ball recovery, with high consistencies), easyer to hit good short crosses with high consistencies as well though.

Yes but consistency "forgives" you when you're hitting too early a ball. Players with low consistency would see their shot landing out or even not passing the net.

[VMoe86]

The unseeded finalist: Clog (Nadal) defeats VMoe86 (Davydenko) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0

Well, I was not sure which tactics to use against Clog, so I started to play my typical game. However, it did not work against the way he was using Nadal: I had to face deep shots with Spin pushing me back. So, I made more winners than him in the first set, but I made a lot of errors (over 20 or so, it was ugly). However, I started to realise what I had to do and it wasn't particularly interesting: Stay a bit further back, use b1 and b1+down (Top Spin from now on) to keep him at bay and wait for a chance to attack. I was starting to win the longer rallies, so I still thought I could win this.

With that mindset I went into the second set and managed Stamina a bit better than he did. As long as my Overall Energy was over 50%, I could deal with with Low Instant Energy by saving my good accelerations for the weak balls he would give me when he was on low Instant Energy. It was kind of a boring tactic, I guess, but it is what worked and I sticked to it. Attacking at the net I did not even try much, because even on rather easy balls the Spin was difficult to control with Davydenko (Net Presence 47% and since he is small also relatively poor Wing Span ). Clog's errors in this set were also useful. The reason why I could have success with this tactic was that Clog did not use Short Accelerations, I think he could have crushed me easily if he had used that shot on the FH side.

So in the third set he was serving first, he had 40-0, but I dug deep and broke -- even consolidated the break for a 2-0 lead! It did not last long, he got back to 2-2 in a rather long game on my serve. Then I broke again and had 40-15 on serve, but I was starting to get more impatient since Overall Energy got under 50% and my shots got less precise (more errors) or I was late on balls to attack. He broke back in this fight and was leading 4-3 after an easy hold. I managed to get to 4-4 in an easy service game (finally one easy service game!), but he also got one to go to 5-4. The next game was very crucial for what was going to happen and I really wanted to escape the set points after investing so much in this set (I saved a couple of set points, a bit lucky on some of these; made an error on game point). Eventually, I lost this set.

Since I did not manage to get the third set and thinking about what I had to invest to win the fourth set -- no way I could have made it with that Overall Energy left. So, the last set was over quickly: I was net-rushing like an idiot and after almost 9 minutes that set was over -- game, set and match, Clog!

As a conclusion I can say that I found the right tactics too late, but I still had my chances and he somehow toughed out that third set. With a different character choice for me, this could have been different (a bigger serve or someone who is better at the net; Nadal itself would have been perfect for the tactic I developed for 2nd and 3rd set ^^). Overall Clog deserves to be in the final, because he is so bloody consistent and mentally tough! For the final he has to add something to his game, though. I will be rooting for him, because Mathematicians support Mathematicians.

[Clog]

SF : Clog (Nadal) def. VMoe (Davydenko) 6/2 2/6 6/4 6/0

VMoe asked me to write to report despite I told him I sucked at it. Anyway, I'll try to do my best, even if I'm still a little confused about my unexpected victory.

First I really want to insist on the fact I wasn't expecting to win it. I didn't even think of reaching the semifinal in this Grand Slam, and having a fight against the winner of the WTF really scared me. I've been thinking about it a lot, and already thought about wishing him luck for the final. But I'm finally the one who'll fight for the title, and I don't really realise it.

Match report.

In the first set, I have to say with all respect that I was expecting a much more higher level from VMoe. He did a lot of errors (around 25, -10 which were "forced" errors, but still) and almost offered me the set. I tried to be agressive from the beginning, not to wait for errors, but he helped me win this one pretty fast. That was 6/2.

I really have trouble analysing the second set. I guess that's precisely what explains the score. VMoe started to be unpredictacle, I had a lot of trouble to be as reactive as I am usually. He took risks only when he knew he could, and it perfectly worked. He built points, using accelerations only when he had to. That was very clever from him.

Third set was the key. I think he broke the first, won his serve, I won mine, unbroke, etc... Rallies were longer due to the lower stamina, and I guess my character helped. Finally, that was 5/4 to me, VMoe on his serve. Tension was really high, I had like 5 or 6 set points which he all saved. As I told him after the match, I think that it would have killed me if I hadn't won the set at this moment. Set point number 7 (I guess) was the one, and the match was already won...

...since VMoe didn't want to play long rallies and risky shots anymore. He started to try running to the net without really putting himself into a confortable situation ("like an idiot" he said himself ^^), not to mention that Davydenko is really bad at volleying. He totally gave me the last set, which of course I didn't refuse.

So basically, I'm really surprised to be here, standing for the title, and I'm not realising yet. Actually, I hope I won't before the final ; apparently, it helps me.

[ManicMoron100]

Congratulations Clog! Good luck for the final!

[Felipe.M]

I'm not going to play my match of SF for reasons that I explained to one of the moderators since last Wednesday, because they have not given W.O to Alex.

[AlexJasmins]

I'm not going to play my match of SF for reasons that I explained to one of the moderators since last Wednesday, because they have not given W.O to Alex.

I'm sorry to hear that :/ not what i wanted at all. All the best

[VMoe86]

I'm not going to play my match of SF for reasons that I explained to one of the moderators since last Wednesday, because they have not given W.O to Alex.

I'm sorry to hear that :/ not what i wanted at all. All the best

No SF Win means you get less points for the AO. Thumps up to Felipe for sticking to his principles.

[AlexJasmins]

I'm not here Just for the points, i want to play. otherwise i would have given up

[pigrosofo]

What did it happen?